Amerant Bank Releases Annual Impact Report
Leading community bank demonstrates growth within its community while building resiliency for all
CORAL GABLES, FL – Amerant Bank, the largest community bank headquartered in Florida and the main subsidiary of Amerant Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTB), released its annual Impact Report for 2022.
In 2022, Amerant Bank released its inaugural sustainability report for 2021, with the goal of identifying risks, as well as determining opportunities to make a positive impact both in the short- and long-term.
“Last year, we set our goal to contribute and do the right thing as a corporation, and that meant making ‘doing our part’ an essential part of who we are,” said Jerry Plush, Chairman and CEO of Amerant Bank. “We are proud to report on the progress we have made. We also know this is a journey and a long-term commitment by the people of Amerant, and we are up to the task.”
Amerant’s key pillars and research includes:
Empowering People for Shared Success – Amerant Bank has made great strides in 2022 in cementing diversity, equity and inclusion as a driver of internal and business approaches. The cross-functional diversity ambassador team leveraged its compelling I Belong program to raise the profile of diversity and inclusion and encourage awareness organization-wide. The I Belong Executive Council developed DEI short- and long-term strategies built around its Pillars: Talent, Workplace, Communications, and Community.
Amerant Bank’s efforts were recognized by Newsweek, which ranked it #54 on its annual Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® list. The 2022 Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® are the result of a collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company.
Promoting Economic Mobility in Communities – This past year, Amerant has worked to empower its customers and bridge the gap faced by communities of all income levels by providing access to finance and building trusted banking relationships. As a result, Amerant received ‘Outstanding’ ratings for the 20th consecutive year in its Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Evaluation by the OCC in all three performance categories – Lending, Investment and Service.
Committed to positively impacting the communities it serves, Amerant sponsored home construction projects with Habitat for Humanity in Houston, Broward, and Miami-Dade. Amerant also supported non-profit organizations throughout South Florida and the Greater Houston area to offer financial literacy education programs, committing more than $145,000 to helping people in its communities achieve greater financial literacy. Amerant’s Microgrant Programs also provided nearly $60,000 in funding to the neediest of small businesses through its partner, Branches, in South Florida, and LiftFund in Houston.
Overall, in 2022, Amerant committed over $827,099 in charitable giving to non-profit organizations throughout South Florida and the Greater Houston area that support and promote affordable housing, economic mobility, health and social services, and financial independence among diverse populations.
Building Climate Resilience – Amerant’s innovative products and services are designed to help communities and customers address the unique impacts of climate change and environmental degradation, driving sustainable outcomes and financial gains. Although cutting consumption seems like a simple solution to reducing environmental impact, in reality it’s a comprehensive effort orchestrated by multiple internal partners.
Amerant Bank has made a commitment toward its goal of “facilitating preparation for climate change in its communities.” Amerant surpassed its stated goal of $100 million in environmentally conscious loans by originating $134 million of these loans as of December 31, 2022. To reach this goal, Amerant engaged Aclymate Inc. to help account for and offset its carbon emission footprint.
Also, to create new work habits that lead to less consumption, Amerant implemented several eco-friendly initiatives to transform Amerant’s headquarters offices, operations center, and network of banking centers. Several charging stations were installed in key Amerant facilities to encourage team members, tenants and guests to lower emissions and improve the company’s overall carbon footprint. In December 2022, the Marketing department helped the bank in this initiative by removing all print brochures and transitioning to digital versions in its Amerant Brand Center, ultimately providing an important incremental reduction in the bank’s carbon footprint for 2023.
For the full report, visit: amerantbank.com/Impact.
For more information about Amerant Bank, visit amerantbank.com and Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn at @AmerantBank.
For investor relations, visit investor.amerantbank.com.
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About Amerant Bank
Amerant Bank, N.A., is the largest community bank headquartered in Florida and the main subsidiary of Amerant Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ: AMTB). With a presence across South Florida, Tampa, FL, Houston, TX, and internationally, Amerant provides private, retail, commercial and international banking services. Amerant Bank has been serving clients for over 40 years and comprises subsidiaries Amerant Investments and Amerant Mortgage. Rooted in the communities it serves, Amerant Bank supports numerous non-profit and community organizations. In 2022, the company was named a Top 100 Most Loved Workplace by Newsweek.